Slimes treatment.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1908. G. E. D. USHER. SLIMES TREATMENT. APPLICATIONFILED MAY 25, 1907.

CHARLES EDWIN DRAI'ER USHER, OF JOHANNESBURG, TRANSVAAL.

SLIMZES TREATMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908- Application filed May 25, 1907. Serial No.375,758.

To-all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES EDWIN DRA- PER UsnER, a subject of the Kingof Great Britain, and a resident of Johannesburg, in Transvaal, SouthAfrica, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesof Treating Slimes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the wet treatment of finely commin'uted ores,or slimes as they are generally termed, for the extraction of theirmetallic contents and particularly to the treatment of auriferous oresby cyanid; the principal object being to provide a cheap and quickprocess for this )urpose whereby 'a very thorough contact 0 the solventwith the ore, with consequent high extraction, is effected.

Another object is to enable the several steps of solutlon, washing anddrawing oil' of theliquids to proceed continuously without sto pages forsettlement or otherwise and wit out transference of the slimes.

A further object is to avoid loss of metal by enabling the slimes to bemore readily and com letely washed than heretofore.

Accor ing to the present process the solvent solution or wash water iscaused to percolate upwards through the slimes which latter aremaintained in a uniform and practically constant state of difl'u'sionthroughout the suspending liquid, the rate of flow and manner ofdistribution of the solvent or wash being such as to maintain the slimesin suspension and yet allow the solvent or wash to collect a clear stateabove the slimes, whence it may bewithdrawn as desired.

In carrying the invention into effect the apparatus shown in verticalsection in the accom anyingdrawing maybe employed.

In t e 'drawln 0. indicates a circular vat preferably cylin rical inorder that the solvent may rise therein at a uniform rate.

b is a hollow trunksupported by a cross beam 0, the ends of which rest uon opposite sides of the vat a. Sup'porte trunk 'as by brackets d is avertically disposed pipe e, terminating at its lower end in a posed.{ia'rall within the to the portion of the bottom of funnel g, which isdisposed below and is adapted to receive the solvent or wash water fromthe pipe h. I

A pipe '5 for carrying slimes to the vat a, 0 wins into the trunk b atthe upper end thereof, such slimes passing downward through the trunkand out at the. lower end thereof. The pipes 71, and i are provided withvalves 71.- and i for controlling the passage of liquid therethrough. Adecanting pipe 7c of the usual type connects with an off-take pipe Z, asshown. A pump m is connected to pipes lb and Z by valve controlled pipesas lllus- I trated and serves as a means for returning the solvent orwash liquor from the vat back through the pipe 71,. The floor of the vata, preferably slopes toward the center where it 18 provided with adischarge door n, for discharging the contents of the vat.

In operation, the slimes introduced into the vat are maintained insuspension by the flow of the solvent or wash liquor introduced throughthe apertures in arms The flow of the solvent is started whileltheslimes are is followed by wash water as is usual in cyaniding andfinally the whole contents of th vat is discharged through door n.

I 'claim as my invention 1. The hereindescribed process of treatingmetalliferous slimes which consists in maintaining said shines in astate of suspension by the upward passage therethrough of a solvent orwash li uid, at such a rate as not to ma- .terially disturb thehomogeneity of the slimes. and collecting the clear liquid above theslimes.

2. The hereindescribed process of treating metalliferous slimes whichconsists in maintaining said slimes in a state of suspension by theupward passage therethrough of asolvent or wash liquid, at such a rateas not to ma -v terially disturb the homogeneity of the slimes andreturning the same for further percolation through the mass.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of'two witnesses.

CHARLES EDWIN DRAPER USHER. Witnesses:

ALFRED L. SPooR,

Wm. HILLMAN Vmcnm.

